“As a parent I am concerned about my child. There are 2000 plus kids here and I'm sure other parents are concerned as well,” said concerned parent Willie Sanders. Sanders is looking for answers. Just a few months ago he alerted Rochester school officials to glass particles embedded in the soil of the football field at Edison Tech. Sanders is concerned about contamination because the school was built back in 1979 on the site of the former Emerson Street landfill. In September a NYS DEC study determined the soil was not contaminated, but the glass is still there. “We have seen small pieces of glass on the field we did a sweep using staff to remove those and after a rain event they had returned,” said Rochester Schools Director of Environmental Safety Suzanne Wheatcraft. On Thursday, Wheatcraft and state environmental officials were on hand at Edison to talk about the environmental history of the school and answer parents’ questions. Wheatcraft says the challenge now is how to remove the glass. “Something like tilling the field and sifting it like the machines that clean the sand at the beach or it could mean putting a lair of soil, grass seed, or sod. You've got a lot of options there putting a lair over it so you’re separating the people from the glass,” said Wheatcraft. Wheatcraft say the field will likely remain closed the rest of the school year and may not be ready for play until spring. Sanders says his main concern is the safety fro the students. “I'm concerned about the particles that have resurfaced and as of yet no results as to what they are or where they're coming from or what’s causing it,” added Sanders.
